Portal:Mexico

Mexico
Mexico
	Flag Coat of arms
Location	Southern portion of North America

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The Temple of Warriors at Chichen Itza, Mexico

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¡Bienvenido! Welcome to the Mexico portal

Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. Covering 1,972,550 km² (761,610 sq mi), it is the world's 13th largest country by area; with a population of almost 130 million, it is the 10th most populous country and has the most Spanish speakers in the world. Mexico is organized as a federal constitutional republic comprising 31 states and Mexico City, its capital and largest city, which is among the world's most populous metropolitan areas. The country shares land borders with the United States to the north, with Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; as well as maritime borders with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Caribbean Sea to the southeast, and the Gulf of Mexico to the east.

Human presence in Pre-Columbian Mexico dates back to 8,000 BC, making it one of the world's six cradles of civilization. The Mesoamerican region hosted various intertwined civilizations, including the Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Teotihuacan, and Purepecha. The Aztecs came to dominate the area prior to European contact. In 1521, the Spanish Empire, alongside indigenous allies, conquered the Aztec Empire, establishing the colony of New Spain centered in the former capital, Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City). Over the next three centuries, Spain expanded its territorial control, enforced Christianity, and spread the Spanish language, with the colony's rich silver deposits fueling its empire. The colonial era ended in the early 19th century with the Mexican War of Independence. (Full article...)

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The Olmec colossal heads are stone representations of human heads sculpted from large basalt boulders. They range in height from 1.17 to 3.4 metres (3.8 to 11.2 ft). The heads date from at least 900 BC and are a distinctive feature of the Olmec civilization of ancient Mesoamerica. All portray mature individuals with fleshy cheeks, flat noses, and slightly-crossed eyes; their physical characteristics correspond to a type that is still common among the inhabitants of Tabasco and Veracruz. The backs of the monuments often are flat. The boulders were brought from the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas mountains of Veracruz. Given that the extremely large slabs of stone used in their production were transported over large distances (over 150 kilometres (93 mi)), requiring a great deal of human effort and resources, it is thought that the monuments represent portraits of powerful individual Olmec rulers. Each of the known examples has a distinctive headdress. The heads were variously arranged in lines or groups at major Olmec centres, but the method and logistics used to transport the stone to these sites remain unclear. They all display distinctive headgear and one theory is that these were worn as protective helmets, maybe worn for war or to take part in a ceremonial Mesoamerican ballgame. The discovery of the first colossal head at Tres Zapotes in 1862 by José María Melgar y Serrano was not well documented nor reported outside of Mexico.

The excavation of the same colossal head by Matthew Stirling in 1938 spurred the first archaeological investigations of Olmec culture. Seventeen confirmed examples are known from four sites within the Olmec heartland on the Gulf Coast of Mexico. Most colossal heads were sculpted from spherical boulders but two from San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán were re-carved from massive stone thrones. An additional monument, at Takalik Abaj in Guatemala, is a throne that may have been carved from a colossal head. This is the only known example from outside the Olmec heartland. (Full article...)

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The Zócalo also known as Plaza de la Constitución with the Mexican flag waving in the center and to the right behind it, the Old Portal de Mercaderes

The historic center of Mexico City (Spanish: Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de México), also known as the Centro or Centro Histórico, is the central neighborhood in Mexico City, Mexico, focused on the Zócalo (or main plaza) and extending in all directions for a number of blocks, with its farthest extent being west to the Alameda Central. The Zocalo is the largest plaza in Latin America. It can hold up to nearly 100,000 people.

This section of the capital lies in the municipal borough of Cuauhtémoc, has just over nine square km and occupies 668 blocks. It contains 9,000 buildings, 1,550 of which have been declared of historical importance. Most of these historic buildings were constructed between the 16th and 20th centuries. It is divided into two zones for preservation purposes. Zone A encompasses the pre-Hispanic city and its expansion from the Viceroy period until Independence. Zone B covers the areas all other constructions to the end of the 19th century that are considered indispensable to the preservation of the area's architectural and cultural heritage. (Full article...)

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Muerte y resurrección (Death and Resurrection) (circa 1943), by José Clemente Orozco, at the Museo Nacional de Arte

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El Ejemplo (The Example) is a studio album by Regional Mexican band Los Tigres del Norte. It was released by Fonovisa Records on May 2, 1995, and includes fourteen tracks written by Teodoro Bello and Enrique Valencia, which span song styles such as ballads, boleros, corridos, cumbias and rancheras.

The album was a commercial success peaking at number eight in the Billboard Top Latin Albums in the United States, where it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. To promote the album, Los Tigres del Norte released four singles, "La Fama de la Pareja", the title track and "Golpes en el Corazón" that reached top ten in the Billboard Hot Latin Songs, while the single "No Puedo Más" peaked at number 15 in the same chart. "Golpes en el Corazón", was later included in the setlist of their live album MTV Unplugged: Los Tigres del Norte and Friends as a duet with Mexican singer Paulina Rubio. (Full article...)

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Maximilian, c. 1864

Maximilian I (German: Ferdinand Maximilian Josef Maria von Habsburg-Lothringen, Spanish: Fernando Maximiliano José María de Habsburgo-Lorena; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was an Austrian archduke who became emperor of the Second Mexican Empire from 10 April 1864 until his execution by the Mexican Republic on 19 June 1867.

A member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, Maximilian was the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Prior to his becoming Emperor of Mexico, he was commander-in-chief of the small Imperial Austrian Navy and briefly the Austrian viceroy of Lombardy–Venetia, but was removed by the emperor. Two years before his dismissal, he briefly met with French emperor Napoleon III in Paris, where he was approached by conservative Mexican monarchists seeking a European royal to rule Mexico. Initially Maximilian was not interested, but following his dismissal as viceroy, the Mexican monarchists' plan was far more appealing to him. (Full article...)

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Vicente Fox Frida Kahlo Porfirio Díaz Juan Diego Emiliano Zapata Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Cantinflas Pancho Villa Antonio López de Santa Anna Chespirito Agustín de Iturbide Benito Juárez Carlos Slim Diego Rivera Francisco I. Madero Juana Inés de la Cruz Carlos Salinas de Gortari Miguel de la Madrid

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In the news

12 June 2024 – Mexico–United States border crisis: The American Civil Liberties Union files a lawsuit in federal court against the Biden administration for US President Joe Biden's new presidential directive which limits migrants seeking asylum at the Mexico–United States border. (NPR)
9 June 2024 – 2024 Mexican general election: Mexico's ruling party Morena and its coalition allies win a supermajority in the Chamber of Deputies but not in the Senate, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to change the Constitution. (Reuters)
7 June 2024 – RICH nightclub railing collapse: A glass railing collapses outside the overcrowded RICH nightclub in Mexico, causing several concertgoers to fall three stories, killing two and injuring 15. (El Universal)
6 June 2024 –: SpaceX launches Starship's Integrated Flight Test 4, successfully guiding both the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage to soft water landings in the Gulf of Mexico and the Indian Ocean, respectively. (The New York Times)
5 June 2024 – Mexico–United States border crisis: US President Joe Biden institutes a broad asylum ban on migrants illegally crossing the Mexico–United States border, with actions to deport or turn people back to Mexico, with exceptions for unaccompanied children, people with serious medical or safety threats, and victims of trafficking. (Reuters)
4 June 2024 – Mexico–United States border crisis: US President Joe Biden enacts an executive order to temporarily suspend asylum claims processing at the Mexico–United States border when the seven-day average of claims exceeds 2,500 per day. Amnesty International criticizes the executive order, accusing Biden of "setting a dangerous international precedent". (NPR) (AP)

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A Mexican-style burrito served with some limes

A burrito (English: /bəˈriːtoʊ/, Spanish: [buˈrito] ^ⓘ) in Mexico is, historically, a regional name, among others, for what is known as a taco, a tortilla filled with food, in other parts of the country. The term burrito was regional, specifically from Guanajuato, Guerrero, Michoacán, San Luis Potosí and Sinaloa, for what is known as a taco in Mexico City and surrounding areas, and codzito in Yucatán and Quintana Roo. Due to the cultural influence of Mexico City, the term taco became the default, and the meaning of terms like burrito and codzito were forgotten, leading many people to create new meanings and folk histories.

In modern times, it is considered by many as a different dish in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine that took form in Ciudad Juárez, consisting of a flour tortilla wrapped into a sealed cylindrical shape around various ingredients. In Central and Southern Mexico, burritos are still considered tacos, and are known as “tacos de harina” (wheat flour tacos). The tortilla is sometimes lightly grilled or steamed to soften it, make it more pliable, and allow it to adhere to itself. Burritos are often eaten by hand, as their tight wrapping keeps the ingredients together. Burritos can also be served "wet", i.e., covered in a savory and spicy sauce, when they would be eaten with a fork and knife. (Full article...)

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Mexican cuisine Cuisine of Chiapas Cuisine of Veracruz Crema (dairy product) Aztec cuisine Oaxacan cuisine Mole sauce Guacamole Enchilada Mexican breads Nachos Mexican street food Pozole Cheeses of Mexico Taco Pan dulce Mexican wine Sopa de fideo Tostilocos Beer in Mexico Calavera Champurrado Mexican Coke Menudo (soup)

General images

The following are images from various Mexico-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Singer and actor Pedro Infante, one of the leading figures of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 2Battle of Tampico (1829) (from History of Mexico)
Image 3Victoriano Huerta, ruler of Mexico from 1913 to 1914 (from History of Mexico)
Image 4Spanish and Portuguese empires in 1790 (from History of Mexico)
Image 5Ignacio Comonfort (from History of Mexico)
Image 6A map of Mexico 1845 after Texas annexation by the U.S. (from History of Mexico)
Image 7Comanchería, territory controlled by the Comanches, prior to 1850 (from History of Mexico)
Image 81985 Mexico City earthquake (from History of Mexico)
Image 9La leyenda de los volcanes (The legend of the volcanoes). Saturnino Herrán. 1910-1912. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 10Olmec colossal (from History of Mexico)
Image 11Subcomandante Marcos (from History of Mexico)
Image 12Club América vs Cruz Azul at the Estadio Azteca. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 13President Vicente Fox with Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh (from History of Mexico)
Image 14"The Fall of the Alamo" by Robert Jenkins Onderdonk (from History of Mexico)
Image 15Three world leaders: (background, left to right) Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, U.S. President George H. W. Bush, and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, observe the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement. (from History of Mexico)
Image 16Panel 3 from Cancuen, Guatemala, representing king T'ah 'ak' Cha'an (from History of Mexico)
Image 17Toltec carving representing the Aztec Eagle, found in Veracruz, 10th–13th century. Metropolitan Museum of Art. (from History of Mexico)
Image 18Battle of Centla, the first time a horse was used in battle in a war in the Americas. Mural in the Palacio Municipal of Paraíso, Tabasco (from History of Mexico)
Image 19Logo of Nacional Financiera (NAFIN), the state development bank. (from History of Mexico)
Image 20Equestrian statue of Charles IV in Mexico City (from History of Mexico)
Image 21Viceroy José de Iturrigaray (from History of Mexico)
Image 22El Chapo in US custody after his extradition from Mexico. (from History of Mexico)
Image 23Pear, Quince and Psidium cajeta. In 2010 declared the Bicentennial Dessert of Mexico. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 24Distribution of linguistic groups around 1500. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 25Mexican Central Railway train at station, Mexico (from History of Mexico)
Image 26Liberación (Liberation). Jorge González Camarena. 1908. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 27Mexican Army troops in the Zócalo in the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre. (from History of Mexico)
Image 28Dining table, painted between 1857 y 1859, oleo sobre tela (oil on canvas) by Agustín Arrieta (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 29Chihuahua Cathedral and a monument to the city's founder, Antonio Deza y Ulloa (from History of Mexico)
Image 30A unit of Cristeros preparing for battle. (from History of Mexico)
Image 31Agustín de Iturbide the first Emperor of Mexico (from History of Mexico)
Image 32Variegated maize ears (from History of Mexico)
Image 33Sawdust carpet made during "The night no one sleeps" in Huamantla, Tlaxcala (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 34Logo of the Partido Nacional Revolucionario, with the colors of the Mexican flag (from History of Mexico)
Image 35U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President-Elect Enrique Peña Nieto during their meet at the White House following Peña Nieto's election victory. (from History of Mexico)
Image 36Shield Jaguar and Lady Xoc, Maya, lintel 24 of temple 23, Yaxchilan, Mexico, ca. 725 ce. (from History of Mexico)
Image 37Porfirio Díaz (from History of Mexico)
Image 38Plaza de las Tres Culturas (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 39Murals of Bonampak (between 580 and 800 AD) (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 40Battle of Miahuatlán (from History of Mexico)
Image 41President Obregón. Note that he lost his right arm in the Battle of Celaya (1915), earning him the nickname of Manco de Celaya ("the one-armed man of Celaya"). (from History of Mexico)
Image 42Cerro del Cubilete ("Dice Cup Hill"). At the top of the hill is the Cristo Rey (Christ the King) statue. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 43General Pancho Villa at the entrance of Ojinaga (from History of Mexico)
Image 44A statue of a Chichimeca Warrior in the city of Querétaro (from History of Mexico)
Image 45Goddess, mural painting from the Tetitla apartment complex at Teotihuacan, Mexico, 650–750 CE (from History of Mexico)
Image 46Chacmool, Maya, from the Platform of the Eagles, Chichen Itza, Mexico, ca. 800–90 CE (from History of Mexico)
Image 47Modern group monument of Cortés, Doña Marina, and their mestizo son Martín (from History of Mexico)
Image 48La huida a Egipto (The Flight into Egypt). Miguel Cabrera, around 1700. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 49Gilberto Bosques Saldívar took the initiative to rescue tens of thousands of Jews and Spanish Republican exiles from being deported to Nazi Germany or Spain. (from History of Mexico)
Image 50Colossal atlantids, pyramid B, Toltec, Tula, Mexico, ca. 900–1180 AD (from History of Mexico)
Image 51Surrender of Santa Anna by William Henry Huddle shows the Mexican president and general surrendering to a wounded Sam Houston in 1836. (from History of Mexico)
Image 52Entry into Mexico City by the Mexican army (from History of Mexico)
Image 53Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (from History of Mexico)
Image 54The Castillo, Chichen Itza, Mexico, ca. 800–900 CE (from History of Mexico)
Image 55Buffalo Soldiers of the American 10th Cavalry Regiment taken prisoner during the Battle of Carrizal, Mexico in 1916. (from History of Mexico)
Image 56Lázaro Cárdenas mural (from History of Mexico)
Image 57Alegoría de la Constitución de 1857, Petronilo Monroy, 1869. (from History of Mexico)
Image 58The Zócalo (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 59General Santa Anna. (from History of Mexico)
Image 60Teotihuacan view of the Avenue of the Dead and the Pyramid of the Sun, from the Pyramid of the Moon (from History of Mexico)
Image 61"The Torture of Cuauhtémoc", a 19th-century painting by Leandro Izaguirre (from History of Mexico)
Image 62Portrait and book by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Baroque poet and writer. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 63Mexico City street market (from History of Mexico)
Image 64The Execution of Emperor Maximilian, 19 June 1867. Gen. Tomás Mejía, left, Maximilian, center, Gen. Miguel Miramón, right. Painting by Édouard Manet 1868. (from History of Mexico)
Image 65Cabinet Officers of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (left) and of Enrique Peña Nieto (right). (from History of Mexico)
Image 66Fireworks in Mexico City for New Year's Day. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 67José Pablo Moncayo known for his orchestral works, particularly "Huapango" (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 68President Felipe Calderón with President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. (from History of Mexico)
Image 69Exconvento (Ex-convent), by José María Velasco. 1860. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 70Plutarco Elías Calles (from History of Mexico)
Image 71The first Braceros arrive in Los Angeles by train in 1942. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. (from History of Mexico)
Image 72President Carranza in La Cañada, Querétaro, January 22, 1916. (from History of Mexico)
Image 73Making cigarettes in the El Buen Tono factory, Mexico City (from History of Mexico)

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